DIMINISHED EFFECT OF CAMP ON CA2+ ACCUMULATION IN SKINNED FIBERS OF HYPERTROPHIED RAT-HEART

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ uptake is reduced in the hypertrophied ventricle. To determine whether events initiated by P-adrenergic stimulation are involved, we compared the effects of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) on SR Ca2+ uptake between normal and pressure overloaded hypertrophied hearts using saponin-skinned rat left ventricular muscles. Left ventricular pressure overload was induced by partial ligation of the abdominal aorta for 4-6 wk before study. Age-matched normal rats served as controls. Pressure overload increased the left ventricular weight-to-body weight ratio 60.8%. The SR was loaded by exposing the muscles to 10(-6) M Ca2+ solution; SR Ca2+ release was induced by 5 or 25 mM caffeine, and the amount of Ca2+ released from the SR was estimated by the area under the caffeine-induced transient contraction. Concomitant exposure to 10(-4) M cAMP did not influence caffeine-induced Ca2+ release in either normal or hypertrophied fibers. When 10(-4) M cAMP was applied during the Ca2+-loading periods, the amount of Ca2+ accumulated by the SR increased in both normal and hypertrophied fibers. However, the extent of increase was significantly smaller in hypertrophied fibers than in normal fibers [10.9 +/- 1.7 and 27.4 +/- 5.3% in 1 min of Ca2+ loading (P < 0.05), 12.2 +/- 3.2 and 24.7 +/- 3.8% in 4 min of Ca2+ loading (P < 0.05), respectively]. cAMP (10(-4) M) shifted the force-pCa relationship to the right similarly in normal and hypertrophied muscles, and there was no difference in the force-pCa relationship between the two groups either with or without cAMP. We conclude that there is a reduced SR responsiveness to cAMP in hypertrophy and that this reduction in Ca2+ accumulation contributes to diminished P-adrenergic responsiveness in hypertrophy.